A Son Goes to Jail So His Mom Won’t be Locked-up Too

Glenville Fahie will be spending the next three years in prison after he changed his not guilty plea to guilty in order to spare his tearful mother Marcia Fahie from being sent to prison

The mother, son duo was charged with larceny and the lesser charge of receiving stolen goods on February 18 .

The items that they were accused of stealing or receiving were 32 3×6 greenheart lumber that were valued at EC $6,524 which belonged to Mohen Harriar and Collene Harriar. The duo were not represented and pleaded not guilty to the charges.

On Tuesday the Police Prosecution headed by Inspector Eurita- Collins Percival brought forward five witnesses. The owner of the lumber Collene Harriar testified that she and her husband are currently constructing their home in Long Point.

The couple traveled to Guyana to purchase different types of lumber which are not sold in the Federation. Thirty two pieces of Green heart lumber amongst other lumbers purchased.

Harriars contractor also testified that after the lumber arrived at the construction site one morning and the following morning (January 27)all 32 pieces of the Green heart lumber were missing. The owner and the police were then alerted.

On February 18 officer Jasper Carty executed a search warrant on the property of Marcia Fahie for stolen tiles, windows, doors, plywood and lumber . On her property, a wooden house was under construction.

The duo were asked to produce receipts for the building material but they were unable to produce proof of purchase. The officer then informed them that they will have to disassemble the house to retrieve what they believed are stolen materials.

Upon disassembling the house, Green heart wood was found under the flooring of the house, cut into smaller pieces as support for the flooring .

On February 20, Harriar was called to the Charlestown Police station by officer Randolph Diamond to identify lumber they found.

Both mother and son were later charged and remanded to Her Majestys Prison for three weeks before they were bailed.

After the Prosecution rested its case both mother and son testified in their defences. Marcia told the court that she knew nothing about the stolen lumber. She told the court that she purchased a number of lumbers from a construction site in Charlestown and other materials she purchased from TDC on VAT day.

Glenville gave a 45 minute long testimony. He told they court that he wanted to help his mother repair her home but a contractor advised to build a new home. Glenville said that decided to help his unemployed mother. He said that Marlon James offered to sell him some lumber for EC$3,000.

He said that he paid James half of the money and the lumber was delivered. He told the court he didnt know how James brought the lumber to his mothers property.

In March James body was found in the Hamiltons hill with apparent gunshot wounds and 90 percent of the body was burnt. Fahie said that he did not see when the lumber was placed in the flooring and he had no idea that the lumber was stolen.

After both sided rested the Magistrate Yasmine Clarke found the duo guilty of receiving and was prepared to send both to prison from three years.

Marcia begged the court to give her a chance to continue raising her 10 year old son. She cried and pleaded to the court not to send her to jail but in response Magistrate Clarke told her it is your son that is sending you to jail.

This is what you called getting caught red handed. Why you put your mother through this? Why are you allowing your mother to go to prison? Clarke questioned Glenville.

Marcia begged her son to come clean and spare her a jail sentence. Clarke gave Glenville an opportunity to change his plea. After deliberations with his mother, the charge was read over to him and he pleaded guilty to receiving.

Magistrate Clarke sentenced Glenville to three years in prison and found Marcia guilty on the charge of receiving and cautioned her.

But the duo’s problems are not over. The pair has other larceny/receiving charges to answer in upcoming cases. Then there’s the more serious unsolved matter of James’ murder. Is there a connection to the wood theft?

High Court matters

The Nevis Supreme Court April criminal trials will close today. The case involving Keon Moore who was charged with wounding with intent, one rape case and Reece Walters murder case has once again been traversed to the November Trials. Convicted Delano Browne, Allen Braoadbelt and Evrol Daniel will all be sentenced today.